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The Story Of Green Rooibos

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Even the most casual tea drinker will have heard of Rooibos tea, an earthy tisane exclusively grown in South Africa that has been popular worldwide for decades now. Perhaps far fewer know that there has been a rare green variety of Rooibos in development in recent years in an effort to compete with the rising popularity of green teas. 

So what is the difference between “red bush” tea and green Rooibos? To begin, both variants originate from the same Rooibos (aspalathus linearis) plant. Unlike with its famous brother, the leaves for green rooibos are harvested slightly earlier in the year, and are left unfermented, undergoing a minimal oxidation process, which in turn preserves its lush green color.

However, the differences between the two tisanes are more than just cosmetic. Since the leaves used in green rooibos do not go through their natural fermenting process the leaves actually are more adept at keeping their nutritional value. This makes rooibos’ green variant richer in antioxidants and vitamin C among other things, and also gives the tisane a lighter, sweeter, and somewhat grassier taste than its red counterpart.

But the health benefits do not stop there. In South Africa both types of rooibos tea are heralded as having huge health benefits. For instance, unlike other green teas, green rooibos is very low in tannins (a type of bitter and astringent chemical compound that affects how something feels in your mouth). Furthermore, green rooibos has scientifically been linked to promoting gut health, reducing growth of cancer cells, helping with sleep disorders, weight loss, headaches and a lot more (more research is needed). Lastly, green rooibos is entirely caffeine free, making it a suitable beverage for most people and most times of day.

So, while it looks like green rooibos remains a bit obscure and isn’t competing with the massive popularity of our other green teas just yet, its increased antioxidant levels and other health benefits might just make it worth a try for those who already enjoy rooibos tea to begin with.

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